Book-holder.



No 758,924; PATENTED MAY 3, 1904.

S. H. LAW.

BOOK HOLDER.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 25, 1903. N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1' No. 758,924. PATBNTBD MAY 3, 1904. s. H. LAW. BOOKHOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, 1903.

2 sums-sum 2.

.NO MODEL.

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Patented May 3, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL H. LAlV, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

BOOK-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,924, dated May 3,1904.

Application filed March 25, 1903.

T0 (LZL/ whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL H. Law, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Book-Holders, of which thefollowing is a specification.

y invention relates to a book-holder which is adjustable for holdingbooks of varying dimensions in an open position; and said inventionconsists in the novel features of construction to be hereinafterdescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed.

Referring to the drawings furnished and forming a part of thisspecification, Figure 1 illustrates my improved book-holder secured to abracket which is designed to be attached to the arm of a chair or to atable or other support. Fig. 2 is a view of said holder provided withhinged legs for supporting it at a convenient angle on a desk or table.Figs. 3 and -l illustrate said holder in front and side views,respectively, a portion of the base-section being broken away in Fig. 4for disclosing the adjusting-screw. Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views ofsaid holder on lines 5 5 and 6 6, respectively, of Fig. 7 is a sectionalview corresponding to Fig. 5 and showing a section of a book in positionin the holder.

As illustrated in Figs. 8 and 4:, my improved book-holder is composed ofa base-section A and an adjustable top section B, to which are securedclamping devices or memhers I! and 1), adapted to respectively engagethe bottom and top edges of the cover of an open book, said clampingdevices being moved toward and from each other by relative movements ofthe sections A and B to accommodate books of varying dimensions and topermit of proper clamping adjustment.

The base-section A is preferably composed of a section of thin metaltubing of sufiicient diameter to receive the lower end of the topsection B and of sufficient length to admit of the desired range ofmovement of the clamping device.

The clamping member or device a is secured to the upper end of thebase-section A,

Serial No. 149,534. (No model.)

and consists of a thin metal plate a, bent at its lower edge to form aledgeor flange (1 which at each side of the base-section is providedwith upturned portions or lips a, forming channels or grooves forreceiving the lower edges of the side boards of the cover of an openbook, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 to 7, inclusive. The flangebetween the lips or upturned portions (4", projects sufficiently forwardto afford a support for a leafholder O, to be hereinafter described.

The clamping device a is preferably mounted across the upper end of thebase-section A so as to leave only about one-half of said end open forreceiving the adjustable top section B, the latter being half-round incross-section and of the proper size to freely slide in the openingwhich is left in the top of the basesection.

The clamp member or device b, which is secured to the upper end of theadjustable section B by means of a rivet or pin 0', consists of a metalplate 5 having downturned portions 6 at its upper edge at each side ofsaid section, which downturned portions are adapted to engage the upperedges of the bookcover and cooperate with the clamping member a forfirmly holding a book in position in the holder.

The lower end of the adjustable section B is housed within the hollowbase-section A and is moved up or down for adjusting the clampingdevices a and l) by means of a screw 1), which is rotatively mounted inthe basesection and which engages a screw-threaded opening (Z in the endof the adjustable section B. Said screw D is mounted to revolve in abearingblock (1, which is secured in the lower end of the base-section,and said screw is held in said block by a shoulder (Z and a milled head(1, which is secured to the projecting shank of the screw for thepurpose of revolving it, as will be readily understood.

The leaf-holder O consists of an appropriately-shaped sheet-metal platewhich is pivotally mounted on the base-section A, so that it may swingin a vertical and also in a horizontal plane, said plate being backed bya spring and so located as to bear against the leaves on both sides ofthe central line of an open book secured in the holder. Said leafhold eris provided with ears 0 0, which are mounted between similar ears 0 e ona baseplate E and is hinged to said base-plate by a pintle c. A spiralspring 6 mounted on said pintle and having one end 6 bearing against theplate E and the other end bearing against the leaf-holder C, serves topress the edge 0 of the latter toward the plate a of the clamping devicea, and said leaf-holder is moved away from said plate by means of theprojection or thumb-piece 0 which is pressed down when a book is to beinserted in the holder or when a leaf is to be turned, as will bereadily understood. The base-plate E is pivotally secured to the flangea of the clamp member a by means of a pivot or pin 6* to permit theleaf-holder to swing in a horizontal plane and bear with equal pressureon both sides of the book regardless of the point at which said book isopened. This will be readily understood by referring to Fig. 7 of thedrawings.

When a book is to be inserted in the holder,

the clamp members a and b are adjusted a sufficient distance apart toproperly receive the book, this adjustment being effected by means ofthe screw D, as already described. he leaf-holder is then moved awayfrom the clamping member a by pressing down on the thumb-piece 0 and theopen book is inserted with its back against the adjustable section B andwith the lower edges of the side covers in proper position in theclamping member a. The clamp member 6 is then moved down by means of thescrew D until it engages the upper edges of the book-cover, as will bereadily understood. The leaf-holderC being mounted to swing in ahorizontal plane as well as in a Vertical plane will adjust itself tothe leaves on each side of the open book and bear with equal pressurethereon and may be readily moved outwardly to permit the leaves to beturned, as already described.

It will be noted that my improved bookholder is compact in structure andwill occupy little space when out of service. When in use, it may besecured to a table or to the arm of a chair by means of an adjustablebracket,

(illustrated in Fig. 1,) or it may be provided with hinged legs f f forsupporting it at a convenient angle on a desk or table, as illustratedin Fig. 2. The weight of the holder will add very little to the weightof a book secured therein and may therefore be conveniently employedwhen the book is to be supported by the hand of the reader, thebasesection A affording a convenient handle for this purpose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a book-holder, the combination of a hollow tubular base-sectionhaving a bookclamping member mounted thereon, said basesection extendingbelow said clamping member to afford a handle or sup ort, a top sectioncarrying a cooperating book-clamping mem her and having its lower endslidably mounted in said base-section, and a relatively movable screwand nut within the tubular base-section respectively secured to saidsections for relatively moving the same and varying the distance betweenthe book-clamping members carried thereby, substantially as described.

2. In a book-holder the combination of a hollow base-section, and anadjustable top section slidably mounted therein and supported thereby, ascrew-threaded opening in the lower end of said top section, clampingdevices carried by said sections adapted to respectively engage thebottom and top edges of the cover of an open book, and a screwrotatively mounted in and housed by said base-section said screwengaging the screw-threaded opening in said top section, substantiallyas described.

3. In a book-holder the combination of a hollow base-section and anadjustable top section slidably mounted therein and supported thereby ascrew-threaded opening in the lower end of said top section, clampingdevices mounted on said sections adapted to respectively engage thebottom and top edges of the cover of an open book, a screw rotativelymounted in said base-section and engaging the screw-threaded opening insaid top section, and a leaf-holder pivotally mounted on saidbase-section and adapted to swing both in a horizontal and a verticalplane substantially as described.

4:. In a book-holder the combination of a base-section and an adjustabletop section each being provided with a clamping member adapted torespectively engage the bottom and top edges of an open book, means foradjusting said sections relatively to each other, and a leaf-holderpivotally mounted on said basesection and adapted to swing both in ahorizontal and a vertical plane substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL H. LAW. Witnesses:

EDWARD V. BOWLES, PATRICK H. CoLLINs.

